Skip to main content
About us

Meet the team

Impact is bursting with energetic, talented and passionate people who want to make a difference. Our people work from over 30 global locations.

change
Alissa Joy
UK
Alissa andJoy
Project Manager

Programme Coordinator at Impact. I am based in the Windermere office (UK) and joined the company in 2021. 

Linkedin Icon
Connor Gildert, Sales, Americas
USA
Connor andGildert
Sales Operations Administrator

I work alongside our business development team to ensure we provide quality service to our global clients. I also work closely with our internal teams to help do our bit to help develop the local community. Impact gives me the space to be myself, which usually gets me into trouble...

Linkedin Icon
Adele Blakebrough MBE
Adele andBlakebrough andMBE
Board Member

I am the Co-Founder of Social Business Trust (SBT), a charity that supports high-potential social enterprises and charities with its group of leading corporate partners. I love my involvement with Impact. It’s an inspirational organisation…. it also helps me to ditch the high heels and get back to nature.

Damiao Lo
China and Hong Kong
Damiao andLo and
Senior Consultant

Working with Impact allows me to cross-germinate ideas and learnings between clients globally. In an ever-changing, dynamic business environment, I promote everyone to be designers of possibilities.

Geraldina Sordi
Italy
Geraldina andSordi
Consultant and Facilitator

Since I've joined Impact, I feel like my professional development grew exponentially. I feel very empowered by the company and by the values we bring each day into work. My goal is to learn how to best support our clients in every step of a consulting journey, as well as my colleagues, bringing a real change to the process. As a way to recharge I love to take long walks with my dog. My favourite sport is to hang out with friends, especially if in foreign countries!

Linkedin Icon
Agata Stanik, General Manager, Country Manager
Poland
Agata andStanik
Country Manager

I am passionate about helping organisations become worth working for and making the world a better place, achieving long term sustainability for a safe future. At Impact I can grow and flourish to my full potential and at my own pace. Together with me grow our partners and our relationships, evolving into true friendships. Ecology, whether it comes to the planet, environment or people and relations, is a value of great importance to me.

Linkedin Icon
Hillary Lawless Impact
USA
Hillary andO'Dell
Project Manager

I am a program manager, and I love that every day is different, from working on different tasks involved to make a program run smoothly to talking and meeting clients. I come from a hospitality background, so I love the client-facing aspect of my role here at Impact, as well as making sure every piece of the program is on schedule. Outside of work, I am always doing something like teaching dance, travelling, and going to the beach!

Linkedin Icon
Simon Brown
UK
Simon andBrown
Accountant

AKA Bloodaxe. I am an accountant at Impact. When I am not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family, cycling and heavy metal. Not all at the same time, though – that’d be dangerous.

Sarah Golding, Impact International
UK
Sarah andGolding
Head of Account Management

Here at Impact I have the pleasure of managing a portfolio of impressive global programmes and a number of our key clients. I like to simplify the complex, gain clarity where there is ambiguity and drive efficiency and quality through my project teams. I love meeting different people and understanding what makes them tick! I'm full of energy, constantly smiling and always ready for the next adventure.

Linkedin Icon
Ilaria Staltari
Italy
Ilaria andStaltari
Consultant and Facilitator

I joined Impact Italia in 2021 and the magic started happening! Energy, active listening, and continuous exchange are the key elements that characterize my personal and professional life. My purpose here is to design and facilitate ‘ad hoc’ learning solutions that can release transformation and changement regarding the different spectrum of needs that can have organizations. In my spare time I practice dance and yoga, I am travel-addicted and I love to cook to share the results with my loved ones.

Linkedin Icon
Kathyann Waple Impact
UK
Kathyann andWaple
Head of Digital Transformation

I am all about meaningful relationships. I’m good at detail but love the big picture. Business strategy excites me and implementation more so! My role is to head up our digital strategy and take Impact’s experiential face to face practice in to the digital world, strengthening our blended programme work and building digital solutions that serve our clients’ needs in these times of exponential change. I’m a daughter, sister, aunty, wife and mum. I adore sport and adventure, especially cycling, snowboarding, swimming and surfing.

Linkedin Icon
Itsuyo Watanabe(Barbara)
Japan
Itsuyo andWatanabe(Barbara) and
Director, Brand Enhancement Department

As a consultant, I like Impact's programmes because every one of our projects could make the participants think deeply about their issues in the workplace, and move forward for their business success. I am excited when exploring a solution for my clients' current and future business challenges. Besides my job, I like cooking, travelling, fine arts, musicals, Japanese KABUKI, opera etc.

Yuki Okamoto, Impact International
Japan
Yuki andOkamoto(Yuki)
Master Coordinator

Since 2006 I have coordinated programme delivery. This involves meeting facilitators and consultants to design great modules, using creativity to ensure participants have profound learning experiences that add value to their organisation. I manage project set up and use technical skills such as abseil belaying. I have a teaching licence to teach PE. Now I enjoy working using my body, so I love to do exercise and jogging, swimming, gymnastics, and most outdoor things!

Steven Nishida
USA
Steven andNishida
Senior Consultant

A lifelong passion for learning and leadership brought me to Impact, and I couldn't be happier with my decision. As a designer, facilitator, and thought partner, I embrace a scholar-practitioner mindset, running to the issues and engaging others with clarity, empathy, and authenticity. My favorite activity of each day is laughing, playing, and making up bedtime stories with my kids. They're hilarious!

Linkedin Icon
John Scott
New Zealand
John andScott
Consultant

People are at the heart of everything I do and I care deeply about ensuring individuals and teams have the skills, support and temperament to best deal with their future. In my spare time I chair the board of a local art gallery and support the development of our growing community of emerging and successful artists.

 

Zuzanna Naruszweicz, Impact
Poland
Zuzanna andNaruszewicz
Head of Consultants & Project Management

My area of focus is “Sustainability and Responsibility”, and I am passionate about using my years-long experience from the non-profit sector in my present job. In addition to that, I support the team in any other possible way – in translations, formatting documents, gathering data, and communication with associates. I love biking, backpacking and vegan cooking.

Sara Baranzini, Impact Italia
Italy
Sara andBaranzini
Senior Consultant and Executive coach

I have experience as an HR Manager in multinational and Italian companies, managing L&D, recruitment, employees relations, coupled with across-the-board experience in consultancy projects on those subjects. Since 2013 I have been supporting organisations to change with a focus on learning and development with main focus on leadership, individual effectiveness, business coaching and change management.

 

Linkedin Icon
Araya Assawapayukul
Thailand
Araya andAssawapayukul
Operation and Programme Manager

Lucky me, I have a job that allows me to be a Human Doing and a Human Being. I love connecting and building relationships with people through my work. I appreciate what I have rather than what I don’t have. Photography has been my passion since I was young! I love capturing people’s expressions, emotions and feelings. I use my photos to tell stories of myself, amazing people that I’ve met and inspiring places that I’ve been to.

Linkedin Icon
Sydney Johnson
USA
Sydney andJohnson
Program Manager

I am a Program Manager located in the heart of Texas. My favorite part of my role is interacting with so many different people daily while building and carrying out a variety of client-specific programs. Every day, I learn something new, and it excites me to continue growing in my position. When I am not working, you can find me dancing, rewatching Friday Night Lights, traveling, and spending time with my friends, family, and dogs! 

Magdalena Goc-Ryt, Consultant
Poland
Magdalena andGoc-Ryt
Senior Consultant

Life is a path everyone makes on their own, but what happens if it crosses someone else’s? As a trainer and facilitator for over ten years, my focus has been on supporting people to untangle the complexity of communication and cooperation, and build a path that gives room to everyone in the team, in a variety or organisational structures. In my free time I love venturing outdoors with my husky dog and noticing the subtleties of nature.

Linkedin Icon
Holly Higham Impact International
UK
Holly andHigham
Global Lead, Marketing

My job is to share amazing client stories with the world through integrated marketing campaigns. I love live events and building Impact's community, as well as research and content creation. I live for adventure...and cake!

Linkedin Icon
Michelle Roberts, Impact International
UK
Michelle andRoberts
Head of HR

I love the variety of my role, working with global clients on complex projects and learning from inspiring Impact people, no two days are the same. I’m responsible for the quality of customer service, building excellent client relationships, providing commercial strategies with meticulous project scoping and planning, alongside first class solution delivery and evaluation. I love the outdoors; walking, running or camping with our two boys and crazy cocker spaniel. 

Linkedin Icon
Abi Black Impact
UK
Abi andBlack
Project Manager

As a Project Manager I am responsible for the end-to-end implementation of our client solutions by managing and coordinating the client service teams. During my time at Impact I have worked with a broad mixture of clients and participants ranging from graduates to senior leaders. In my free time I enjoy spending time in the Lakes, planning my next holiday and spending time with friends and family.

Linkedin Icon
Andrew Robinson, Impact International
UK
Andrew andRobinson
IT Manager

I work in our busy IT department, helping with all things technical. I have often been referred to as a “Button Manager”, if it's got a button, then I manage it! I enjoy working in IT as it allows me to interact with every part of our business all over the world. I am a keen cyclist and enjoy working in our HQ in the English Lake District, a great place for outdoor adventures. I have worked for impact for over 15 years and am very proud of all that we achieve.

Leadership

The leadership playbook: executive summary

Get hands on with our interactive leadership playbook, shaped by 45+ years' experience working with some of the world's biggest organisations.

Read the article

Leadership
News

2025 Training Industry Top Training Companies Lists: Leadership Training 

Training Industry, known for its independent and rigorous assessment of the training marketplace, has recognized Impact as a Top 20 Leadership Training Company for the 15th consecutive year.

Read the article

Change
Innovation & Creativity
Leadership

C-level leaders on navigating complexity

Discover what it means to lead in today's global business environment through our insightful eBook.

Read the article

Emerging Talent
Transformational Leadership

Frontline leadership program for Orica

A 12-week blended program designed to help frontline leaders develop foundational and practical skills to be more effective in current

View Case Study

Change
Digital & Technology
Leadership

Podcast: Is BANI the new VUCA? with Jamais Cascio

Jamais Cascio created the BANI framework in 2018 and six years later, Impact is the first UK/US based organisation to invite him to speak about it. In this podcast we explore what BANI is and how...

Listen to the Podcast

Change Management
Transformational Leadership

Empowering transformational change through leadership with Charter Manufacturing

Charter Manufacturing’s multi-award-winning programs have produced leaders who are enabled to be agile and lead transformational change.

View Case Study

Our awards

Year after year, we continue to be acknowledged for the quality and effectiveness of our partnerships with clients and for our own work on building Impact as an organisation worth working for.

2025 Training Industry Top 20 Leadership Training Company
Top 20 Leadership Training Company 2025

Impact is a 2025 Top 20 Leadership Training Company. Training Industry independently assess the training marketplace for top providers. Their Top Leadership Training List, based on capabilities and expertise, includes Impact for the 15th consecutive year. 

More about the awards (opens in a new tab)
AITD 2025 award finalist
AITD Excellence Awards 2025

Orica's Frontline Leadership programme has been shortlisted in the Best Leadership Development category of the AITD Excellence Awards 2025 (Australian Institute of Training and Development).

Read the case study (opens in a new tab)